Leeds bus strike has been suspended

DISMISSAL: Some bus drivers were going to be dismissed for legitimate trade union activity

1000 workers have voted on a new pay deal

Leeds bus workers, who have suspended their all-out strike which was due to have started on Tuesday 26th July, will be voting on a new improved two-year pay deal over the next fortnight.

Unite, the country’s largest union, said that the ballot result of the 1,000 bus workers, based at the Bramley and Hunslet Park depots in Leeds, would be known on Thursday 11th August.

Unite regional officer Phil Bown said: “The indefinite bus strike, due to have started in Leeds tomorrow, has been suspended after the company First  West Yorkshire came forward with a much improved two-year pay offer after protracted talks on Friday 22nd July.

“Our members will be balloted on this offer over the next fortnight and the result will be known on Thursday 11th August. In the meantime, the strike has been suspended and our members will be working normally.

“We appreciate that the threat of strike action has caused concern to the travelling public in Leeds, but Unite believes that the new offer on the table offers an excellent opportunity to resolve this dispute.”

The one remaining issue that has to be resolved is the dismissal of the Unite branch secretary, who was one of the architects of the new deal.

Unite is awaiting a date for an appeal hearing with one of the company’s senior directors. The issues relating to 13 other members have been resolved to the union’s satisfaction.

Phil Bown added: “The dismissal of our branch secretary is very important to us, especially as he was one of the architects of the new deal that our members are now voting on. We fully expect that he will be reinstated once the appeal hearing has been held.”